The Nigerian Senate passed the N2.17 trillion 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill on Thursday after a thorough third reading.
The decision came after the Senate adopted the report of the harmonized sittings of both the red and green chambers on the 2023 Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
This report was submitted by Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, who serves as the Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Ogun West.
Supplementary Budget
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the submission of a supplementary budget of over 2.17 trillion Naira to the National Assembly.
Following the announcement of the supplementary budget on Monday, the House of Representatives quickly passed the bill for the second reading.
READ ALSO: INEC Defends N18 Billion Supplementary Budget Before House Committee
The Senate followed suit by passing the bill for the second reading after President Tinubu requested the Senate’s consideration and approval of the appropriation bill.
Critics pointed to the allocation of N6.9 billion for the procurement of vehicles for the State House and an additional N1.5 billion earmarked for new cars for the Office of the First Lady, among other items.
The allocation includes N2.9 billion for SUVs for the Presidential Villa and another N2.9 billion for replacing government pool vehicles.
Also, the supplementary budget allocates N4 billion for the construction of an office complex in Aso Rock, and N3 billion for the renovation of the Vice President’s official residence in Lagos.
Budget Proposal
Tinubu had earlier proposed an unprecedented sum of 26 trillion Naira for the 2024 budget, which is scheduled to be submitted to the National Assembly before December 31.
This budget proposal was unveiled during the approval of the 2024-25 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) and fiscal strategy papers (FSP) at an FEC meeting held on October 23 in Abuja.
With the approval of the supplementary budget by the National Assembly, the total budget for 2023 will amount to 28.17 trillion Naira.
